grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

a certain slant of sunlight…

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sunlight through the kitchen window

I know right off when the day is destined to be a good one. I can tell by the slant of sunlight through my kitchen window. This simple ray of sunshine, as yellow as the apples it shines upon, sends me working out into the yard all day long. The world could turn upside down and I’d be fine as long as I’m busy in the garden.

That was yesterday and yesterday was my favorite sort of day. A trip to the nursery and lots of digging in the dirt. Today I feel the ache in my back. It’s a good ache—the ache of transplanting hostas and moving around day lilies. Sometimes plants need to be relocated. Sometimes I think I must do it for the feel of it.Continue Reading

Spring Planting!

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spring planting

I love driving across Arkansas during spring. In the Ozarks, redbuds and dogwoods compete for attention, and roadsides are exploding with wildflowers. Spring planting is in full swing as farmers and gardeners put seeds in the ground. It’s no secret that harvest is my favorite time of year, but after a slow cold winter, spring planting is cause for celebration. Not that there’s time for a party.

Party in the field, maybe.

Of course, without spring planting, there would be no fall harvest. And timing is key. With spring comes wild weather bringing storms and hail, tornadoes, dust storms, a chance of frost? Rain, rain go away until we need another shower.

The soil is rich and wide awake, the fields leveled and hipped. The state is humming.

Here are a few spring planting pics from across Arkansas…Continue Reading

Gracie Lee’s Spaceship Squash

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Gracie Lee and the Spaceship SquashWhen Gracie Lee’s Momma let the girls buy seed packets at Savage Crossing Hardware, Gracie Lee chose spaceship squash for obvious reasons—the squash looked like a flying saucer and flying saucers were intriguing. The variety was really called patty pan squash. The odd name caught her attention too.

Spaceship (Patty Pan) squash

Patty pan squash is a “bush” squash meaning is doesn’t vine like other squash varieties, but grows in more of a bush shape. I’m excited to grow it this summer in the back of my yard where the sun blazes for hours. Cooking Light has some amazing recipes using this particular squash variety. The nutritional value alone should be enough to get anyone interested in it. One cup of patty pan squash is loaded with 43% of your daily Vitamin C requirement, 5 grams of fiber, and no cholesterol. Boom. All that for only 38 calories…

They look like pumpkin seeds, don’t you think? But they aren’t. Continue Reading

Food. Farm. Garden. Life.

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